Yousef Nadarkhani

    Yousef Nadarkhani is under a death sentence in Iran merely for being a Christian.  Despite trumped up charges, even the Iranian courts have found the only legitimate charge against him is "apostasy."  Yousef was never a practicing Muslim, but simply having been born into a Muslim family was enough for the courts to uphold his conviction and sentence.

Notwithstanding complaints about the recent "assaults on religious freedom" in our own country (myself included,) this type of persecution is incomprehensible to Americans.

[Jesus said:]  Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  (Matthew 5:10-12)

Iranian Christians can truly identify with the Apostle Paul.  "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed."  (II Corinthians 4:8-9)  Christians certainly have an obligation to pray for Yousef, his family, and his persecutors, but all of us as Americans should decry this injustice and call for Yousef's release.